The Holidays and FOOD!

The holidays: the time of year where you have an event what seems like almost every weekend and there’s an abundance of food that’s calling your name with a nice pairing of alcohol to complement it. They’re commonly known for being everyone’s favorite time of the year, but our bodies absolute least favorite. It’s hard to stay on track, to continuously avoid certain foods that may be around only during this time of year, and to feel like you’re missing out on something just because you want to watch your nutrition. Frankly, it’s the time where most people stop or at least hit the pause button on their diets or weekly nutrition regimens. You don’t have to be 100% strict or 100% not. You don’t have to either eat it all or avoid absolutely everything. There are ways to survive the holidays and this time of year without being mad at yourself after they’re over, without having to feel like you’re back to square one and start completely over again.

1. You’re out of town: This one is tough for so many people because a lot of families travel throughout the holidays. It can be definitely be tough if you’re staying at a hotel or a relative’s house that has far from the resources or the food that are going to be beneficial to your diet. Not everyone wants to pack for every meal and be that person. Completely understandable.

Key advice: Start your day with a quick workout. Walk to the coffee shop, jog around the neighborhood, or maybe a mini bodyweight WOD. It’s a perfect way to flush out the bad stuff you may have indulged in the night before and to kick start your metabolism for that day. Pack easy snacks, think protein bars (Quest, Power Crunch, etc.), protein powder, a pack of almonds, jerky, etc. Easy snacks are great to have so you’re not starving by the time you get to the next meal.

2. A family or friend party: Everyone’s bringing an appetizer or a dish or your family might even have a 10-course meal catered from a local spot. This one can be really tough because there’s more than likely going to be a plethora of things you enjoy, such as the buffalo chicken dip, the dinner rolls, or Grandma’s famous dessert. It can be overwhelming and pretty easy to snack on literally everything,

Key advice: Most importantly, don’t starve yourself. If it’s more of a dinner party, think small portions. If you’re someone that likes to have a little bit of everything, that’s great, but try to take smaller servings to save yourself an uncomfortable stomach. Even play a trick on your mind and load a small plate, so it seems like you’re having more. Don’t feel like you can’t indulge, but also don’t look at the party as an excuse to eat a gargantuan amount of what’s in front of you. If it’s more of an appetizer/self-serving party, try to eat a small meal before. Take small bites of things and maybe a few tastes here and there, but eating before will save your stomach from being starving and indulging in a whole crockpot full of your friend’s dip.

3. Alcohol: This is obviously a huge part of any social gathering, especially during this time of year. Your friend made sangria, your buddy has this new beer he’s dying for you to try, or Bailey’s and hot chocolate are calling your name during the first winter storm. It’s tempting and there’s usually a great deal of holiday options that can be hard to pass up.

Key advice: Don’t feel like you have to shy away, but ask for a cup and pour yourself a small serving of it. Bring your own alcohol and try to stick to a healthier option: regular vodka with some water, crystal light, and lemon/limes is easy and light, a 6-pack of light beer for you and your significant other or friend to split, or a bottle of dry red wine can have greater health benefits for you than the sweet stuff.

4. Multiple Christmases/Thanksgivings: if you’re in a relationship and/or have a large family, chances are you’re going to have multiple celebrations for numerous holidays. Sometimes, it can be extremely exhausting, and then to try to think of eating healthy during each of them can be tough. You have to go to your in-laws and your parents, or your dad’s side and then your mom’s side; either way, it can be a lot of parties, with a lot of food, in a short span of time.

Key advice: Load up on the veggies and try to pick a nicer option of meat (turkey, burger without the bun, little to no sauce, etc.) Tons of green beans, asparagus, a large salad with the “better” choice of dressing, veggie tray, or even some corn paired with a small heap of mashed potatoes are okay. They can help fill you up so you’re not too tempted to have alarge piece of pie or one too many rolls/slices of bread on the side.

The bottom line: don’t feel like you can’t enjoy yourself around the holidays and don’t dread going to certain parties because you think you’ll be too tempted to make poor food choices. Many of us are in the same boat, and eating healthy can be a struggle, but as long as you do the best you can and make a conscious effort to adjust to your surrounding environment, you can definitely prevent having to do damage control after the holidays are over. Enjoy yourself, just don’t put yourself in a situation you may end up regretting later!

#flashbackfriday of our great community coming together and volunteering their weekends time @theplexgames. Couldn’t thank you guys enough. So much fun! 💪
#nevereasy
#alwaysworthit
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#education These are the 3 energy pathways or stimulus’s we try to hit every week in training CrossFit at CrossFit 557. Hitting all 3 pathways week in and week out will help you become overall more fit! This is why we have time caps or we want you to scale accordingly. We want to make sure you are hitting the “right” stimulus for the day.
Example of same workout but different sitimulus. The workout “Fran” 95/65 should be done under 5-7 minutes. This workout should be a fast burner in which the weight from the thruster won’t slow you down then it becomes how well you can do your gymnastics under fatigue or Ring rows. Now if you can’t hit 5-7 minutes we should be looking to scale it in some direction to get more of a short burn out of it with high intensity “Fran Cough”. Now if we add weight or just make the gymnastics alittle harder then the stitumlus changes. Fran with C2B and Thrusters 135/95 is a totally different workout than what it was intended for but the question is what pathway are you trying to get better at that day.
This is why we have short burner workouts, medium size AMRAP and Long brutal WOD programmed. There is a method to the madness! 💪 #crossfit557
Here are a few workouts! Try to place their pathway or pathways?! “Grace”, “Fran”, “Nancy” 500m Row, 5K Row, “Murph”, “Sevens”. Now just think about a run 1 mile compared to a 5K run that is compared to a Half Marathon. Think about the intensity and duration. The longer the duration the lower output of energy. The shorter the duration the higher output of intensity! Have a great balance is what we are shooting for. Hope this is a good read for people that want to know more. If you have any questions feel free to ask @shanemcbride_1. -CrossFit 557
#understandthewhy #crossfit #programming #nevereasy #alwaysworthit #crossfit557 #passion

Good luck @johnbecher! John placed 47th Worldwide in the 2018 Crossfit Games Open Masters (55-59). This weekend he will be completing a handful of CrossFit online qualifying workouts to have a chance to compete at the @crossfitgames in Madison, WI. Dig deep and leave it all out there this weekend. We are all proud of you! 💪
#crossfit
#masters
#hardworkpaysoff
#crossfit557

Out with the old and in with the new!
New toys at @crossfit557! Always reinvesting into the best cardio equipment around @concept2inc.
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#allthecardio
#allthepain ☠️☠️☠️☠️

Bring a friend was a huge hit today! Thank you all for coming out. More photos to come. 💪🔥
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Ever wanted to try CrossFit but never got around to it? Come join us FOR FREE this Saturday April 7 at 10:00 am for our FREE Bring a Friend day! Did we mention it’s free?
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Make fitness the best hour of your day!
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Athlete - @luke_lamoreaux

We are excited to announce the start of our new Special Needs CrossFit Class!
This is an adapted CrossFit class with emphasis on core strength, functional mobility, balance, coordination, and fluency of movement.
Our class is targeted to special needs children/teens ages 3-18 and their caregivers. Jennifer Norton, MSPT, will be leading this group. She has been practicing pediatric Physical Therapy for more than 20 years and competing in CrossFit for over 3.
When: 6/2, 6/16, 6/30, 7/7, 7/21, 7/28
Cost: $65
Register: www.crossfit557.com/adaptive

What’s your “why” on coming to the gym?
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Check out what deals Show Me Weights has during The Plex Games! If you are needed any equipment this is the time to purchase for a great price.
#Repost @theplexgames with @get_repost
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As the open draws to a close we’re just getting warmed up. There’s only 4 weeks left to get your team registered. Just like last year Show Me Weights will be supplying the equipment and selling everything after the event. Here’s your chance to get some good equipment for a great deal.
#vendor #showmeweights #venividivici #bestinthemidwest #PlexGames #prizemoney

Mark your calendars and reserve a spot today!
Bring a friend day will be April 7th at 10am. If one of your friends have been interested, in fitness, this is a perfect opportunity for them to try it out!
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18.2 is here!!!
#Repost @crossfitgames with @get_repost
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Open Workout #18point2a and #18point2 have been released. BEFORE you attempt the workout, you MUST review the written workout description and movement standards (link in bio.) This is to ensure you perform the workouts correctly.
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You have until 5 p.m. PT on March 5th to submit scores.
Have fun. #InTheOpen #Fitness #CrossFit #CrossFitOpen @compexusa @stacietovar

Friday Night Lights Week #1 ✅ Proud of everyone that came out for 18.1. It was 20 mins of “fun”. The amount of support that was shown today during every single class makes me so proud of the community we all built! 4 more week of CF Open season! LETS GOOO! 💪
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CrossFit Open is just days away! #Repost @crossfitgames with @get_repost
・・・
The Open starts in 9 days. Sign up and spread the word. Digital downloads of the 2018 Open infographic are now available in the @CrossFitStuff store.
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Learn more about the #CrossFitOpen through the link in bio. #InTheOpen #CrossFit #CrossFitGames #Fitness

Instill these important qualities into what you do everyday! “How you do anything is how you do everything!” #motivation #committed #dedicated #goals #hardworkpaysoff #crossfit557